A Warning to All False Traitors

You traitors all that doo deuise
To hurt our Queene in trecherous wise,
And in your hartes doo still surmize
      which way to hurt our England,
Consider what the ende will be
Of traitors all in their degree
Hanging is still their destenye,
      that trouble the peace of England.

Will not examples make you true,
But you will still the steppes ensue
Of the ungodly Romish crue
      that trouble the peace of England?
Remember Felton, long agoe,
And Campion, that was hang'd also,
With a number of great traitors moe,
      that troubled the peace of England.

Then Parrie, and Throckmorton eke,
Of traitorous drifts were not to seeke,
And diuers others haue doone the like
      to trouble the peace of England :
And Babbington, with his wicked traine,
Continually did beat their braine
Which way and how they might obtaine
      to trouble the peace of England.

But God, we see, hath still made knowne
Their wicked meaninges euery one,
And death hath made their harts to grone
      that troubled the peace of England :
Yet will not these examples good
Once stay these traitors madding mood,
But still they seeke to suck the blood,
      of our gratious Queene of England.

As late neer London there was seene
Two traitors hang'd on Myle-end greene,
Which did take part against our Queene,
      to trouble her realme of England :
The first a preest, his name was Deane,
The next was Weblin, who did meane
To helpe the Spaniards for to gleane
      the fruites of the realme of England

The next in Finsberrie feeld there died
A preest that was a traitor tryed,
His name was Gunter, who denied
      to helpe the good Queene of England :
But he would, for the Spaniards sake,
Prouide inuasion for to make,
And gainst our Queene their partes to take
      to trouble the peace of England.

There died in Lincolnes feelde also
Moorton, a cruell traitor, too,
He being a preest, with other moe,
      did come to trouble our England :
And in that place there died with him
One Moore, who was a traitor grim,
Who would haue ventured life and lim,
      to hurt the good Queene of England.

There died eke at Clarkenwell
A preest, that was a traitor fell,
His name was Acton, trueth to tell,
      that troubled the peace of England ;
For why, he sought for to maintaine
The Pope, and eke the Spanish traine,
And did our gratious Queene disdain,
      with all that loue her in England.

Then Felton young, who did upholde
The Pope, as did his father olde :
His false hart he to treason solde,
      to trouble the peace of England.
To Braintford he was had to dye,
Whereas he stoutly did deny
To helpe our Queene and her cuntrye,
      but sought the decay of England.

And in like manner Clarkson, he
To Braintford went for company,
Where both were hanged vpon a tree
      as enemies to our England :
Both preests they were, of Romish rout,
Who subtilly did goe about
But yet for them it was no boot,
      to hurt the good realme of England.

At Tyborne dyed, the thirteth day,
Flewett and Shelley, trueth to say,
And Leigh, a preest, who did denay
      to aide the good Queene of England :
Martin and Rooche, that present died
At Tyborne, being traitors tryed ;
For, like the rest, they had denide
      to aide the good Queene of England.

One Margeret Ward there died that daye,
For from Bridewell she did conuay
A traiterous preest with ropes away,
      that sought to trouble our England :
This wicked woman, voide of grace,
Would not repent in any case,
But desperatly even at that place,
      she died as a foe to England.

When law had passed upon them so,
They should be hang'd and quartered too,
Our Queene took mercy on them tho,
      which sought her decay in England,
And pardoned them their greatest paine ;
Yet all her pitie was in vaine,
For to aske mercy they did disdaine
      of the gratious Queene of England.

But God, we see, dooth still defend
Our gratious Queene unto the end,
Gainst traitors that doe ill pretend
      to her and her realme of England.
God graunt that we may thankfull be
Vnto his glorious Maiestie,
That so defends the soueraignty
      of the vertuous Queene of England.

 - English broadside, printed by Edward Allde, September, 1588. The ballad lists a number of English subjects executed in August of that year for having been part of the Spanish invasion plot which was thwarted by the defeat of the Armada. The broadsheet specifies that this is to be sung to "Greensleeves."